Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Wednesday 31 July 2019

Continued from Page 18 She also served as head 2-0 in Lyon, France, to
Following the conclusion of coach at UCLA for 12 sea- claim its second straight
the five-match tour in Oc- sons. championship, after chal-
tober, she will serve as a “When I accepted the lenging knockout victories
U.S. Soccer ambassador for head coaching position over No. 4 France and No.
at least a year. this was the timeframe I 3 England. The Americans
Ellis’ contract was set to envisioned,” Ellis said. “The never trailed at the tour-
expire following the World timing is right to move on nament and set records
Cup with a mutual op- and the program is posi- with 26 goals and a 12-
tion to extend it through tioned to remain at the game World Cup winning
the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. pinnacle of women’s soc- streak dating to 2015. Ellis
U.S. Soccer will begin the cer. Change is something I became the first coach to
search for a new coach have always embraced in lead a team to two Wom-
after a general manager my life and for me and my en’s World Cup titles.
for the women’s team is family this is the right mo- But there was also disap-
named. The federation ex- ment.” pointment during her time
pects to name a GM soon. The World Cup title in 2015 at the helm. The defending
“Jill was always extreme- was the team’s first since champions were knocked
ly passionate about this winning it all in 1999. Over- out in the quarterfinals in
team, analytical, tremen- all, the team has won soc- the 2016 Brazil Olympics by
dously focused and not cer’s most prestigious tour- Sweden, the team’s earli-
afraid to make tough deci- In this July 6, 2019 file photo United States coach Jill Ellis attends nament four times. est departure ever in the
sions while giving her play- a news conference at the Stade de Lyon, outside Lyon, France. The top-ranked U.S. team tournament.
ers the freedom to play to has been dominant Ellis said she thought it was
their strengths,” U.S. Soccer Gustavsson, is also stepping coach after serving as in- throughout Ellis’ tenure. The important to allow a new
President Carlos Cordeiro down after eight years with terim coach following the team went undefeated in head coach to get major
said in a statement. “She the team. dismissal of Tom Sermanni. the 2015 World Cup in Can- tournament experience in
helped raise the bar for Over the summer in France, Ellis also served as interim ada en route to a 5-2 vic- the Tokyo Games before
women’s soccer in the USA Ellis broke April Heinrich’s coach after Pia Sundhage tory over Japan in the title the next World Cup.
and the world, and given U.S. women’s team record resigned in 2012. match. The United States “I’ve actually worked in
the history of this program, for most games coached. She was an assistant to gave up just three goals three Olympics, so it’s an
the level of success she Overall, she has led the both and was on the staff over the course of the tour- experience I’ve had, with
achieved is even more re- team in 127 matches, with of the gold medal-winning nament. Pia in Beijing and London,
markable.” 102 wins. teams at the Beijing and Earlier this month, the U.S. and obviously in Brazil,” she
Ellis’ assistant coach, Tony Ellis was named head London Olympics. defeated the Netherlands said.q